We remember together: "Old Woman Izergil", a summary

The work of Maxim Gorky is a bright page in Russian Soviet literature. From the first steps in the artistic field, he declared himself as a talented nugget, passionately protesting against ugly and cruel manifestations of life. Ideals of the early Gorky - is the freedom of the human spirit, independence from all shackles, whether it is the framework of law or the bonds of kinship, as well as passionate love for people, the thirst for service to them, the thirst for achievement.

Romantic features of Gorky's prose

Early Gorky is a romantic, thanks to which such heroic, sparkling images entered the world of the reader as a remarkably beautiful gypsy couple - Rada and Loiko, loving each other with all their heart, and even more - personal freedom. They preferred to perish, but did not submit to one another, however, the memory of their beauty and freedom remained in the legends and ignites the human imagination.

Or two more heroes, complementary and shading characters, deeds and life position - Lara, son of Eagle, and Danko, the son of a once free tribe. Both heroes symbolize a kind of philosophy, with which the writer introduces us in the story "Old Woman Izergil".

"Old Woman Izergil", the summary of which is reduced to reflections on the meaning of life and the nature of the feat, has a three-part composition and is written in the form of a "story in a story". The first story is a story about the proud and egoistic Lara, from whom people turned away, and even Death herself, in punishment, refused to come after him. Being the son of a woman and an Eagle, he imagined himself higher and better than all the people of his own tribe. Handsome, like a god, Lara looked down at the elders with cold eyes, like ice floes. When he pushed the girl away, he killed her, crushing his chest with his foot. The whole tribe shuddered - for the first time so cruelly and indifferently they were killed by a woman. And Lara calmly looked at the indignant people, independently and arrogantly answered the questions of the leaders. He was not afraid of anyone and did not think to repent. On such excessive pride, the elders were not found what to answer. They came up with a punishment for the hero-not to kill, but to drive him out of his ranks, as a renegade, and never take people into society.

As the work of "Old Woman Izergil", a short summary of it, goes through centuries, generations of people have been replaced by others, and Lara still wanders alone along the steppe. He did a lot of trouble for people - at first just like that, amusing himself or for food: stealing women, cattle. Then, tired of himself, he did evil, so that his fellow tribesmen killed him. The hero himself tried to kill himself, hitting the ground with all his might - but the earth did not want to take in his bowels one who could not, in fact, be considered a man. And death bypassed his side. The sun and time dried Lara, turned into a disembodied shadow, which is still hovering uneasily on the ground, finding no shelter and peace. The first part of the story "The Old Woman Izergil", the brief content of which we recalled, ends with the conclusion: so the person was punished for pride.

This legend tells the author-narrator, on behalf of whom the story is being conducted, Isergil herself, the dried-up and hunched under the burden of years the Bessarabian old woman, whom Gorky encounters in the steppes under Ackermann. It is a binding composition work, in many ways an exponent of author's ideas and views. And the second part of the story "Old Woman Izergil", a brief summary of it, boils down to describing the heroine of her life.

Izergil spent a stormy youth, loved a lot, visited different adventures. She was beautiful, strong in body and spirit, in something selfish, like Lara. However, in her heart there was a thirst for achievement, bright, eventful events, and people were attracted to her too by unusual, strong and courageous, real heroes. She prefers wealthy cavaliers wounded in the battle of the Pole, tk. He committed heroic deeds in his life. For the sake of the love and salvation of the one who is dear to her, Izergil risks himself and even kills the guard of the soldier.

The summary of "Old Woman Izergil", the second part of it, boils down to the words of the heroine that in our life there is always a place for deeds. It is important only to want to commit them. And those who are not given this are lazy with soul, living dead, like Lara.

And in the third part, Izergil tells another very interesting and instructive legend - about Danko, a brave and strong handsome man who brought his tribe out of rotten marshes, dense forests to the vastness and light of a free life.

It's difficult to be a hero. Indeed, in addition to overcoming their own fears, the hero needs to overcome the "resistance of the environment": disbelief of contemporaries, ridicule and contempt, their frank pursuit. Danko faced all this when he led the exhausted and disillusioned people to a new life. In order to inspire people with hope and confidence in victory, loving all of their being, Danko tears out of his heart and illuminates the road in pitch darkness.

The story of "Old Woman Izergil," a brief summary of it, even expresses a profound and important philosophical thought. First, as it is correctly said, the prophet in his homeland can not be found. So the brave youth died, and the tribe did not notice it. And only a cautious man stepped on the sparks from the heart and extinguished them. Why? Probably, so that no one else would ignite such madness. After all, to live in a philistine way, in a philistine way, quietly and calmly, it is much more convenient than tolerating torment and deprivation, even for the sake of a brighter future.

And secondly, the memory of the altruist Danko and his hot, heart-filled heart, still remained. She excites people and calls them to heroism. And it is in this - to live and burn for the sake of people - Gorky sees the highest calling of Man.